NFL Divisional Round bloggers give one reason to bet their team

NFL teams inch closer to Super Bowl Sunday with four exciting Divisional Round matchups set for this weekend.

No one knows these contenders better than the people who eat, sleep and breathe their favorite teams – NFL expert bloggers. We’ve enlisted the help of eight bloggers to give you one reason to bet their side this weekend.Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos (-9.5, 46)

There are many reasons to believe the Ravens will keep this close, including having a much healthier defense this time around. Last Sunday marked the first time all season that they had Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Ed Reed and Haloti Ngata on the field together. Defensive coordinator Dean Pees has been far more aggressive lately than he was earlier during the season, suggesting Baltimore has a better chance of forcing turnovers against Manning & Co.

The Broncos ranked fifth in total offense and second in total defense, which makes them the only NFL club in the Top 5 in each category. The Broncos enter the playoffs with an 11-game win streak and during that run they won by at least seven points to tie for the second-largest in NFL history. Additionally, the Broncos led the NFL in scoring differential in the second half this year. They were outscored by their opponent just once in the final two quarters this season. Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers (-2.5, 44.5)

The difference for the Packers and the reason you should pick them this week will be Aaron Rodgers. He'll be playing with a huge chip on his shoulder because his favorite boyhood team, the 49ers, snubbed him in the draft. The Packers quarterback will pick apart the 49ers, especially in the second half where he thrives. The Niners will be rusty and Rodgers will jump on them early, leading Green Bay into the NFC Championship game once again.

The 49ers absolutely must win the turnover battle to defeat the Packers. The 49ers are sending out second-year QB Colin Kaepernick, who has done a good job avoiding interceptions. If he can avoid stupid mistakes and the 49ers defense can force Aaron Rodgers to make a bad pass, the victory is there for the taking.Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons (-1, 45.5)

It's difficult to see how Atlanta are going to contain Marshawn Lynch and should Seattle go behind early, as was the case last week, the Seahawks won't need to abandon their running game too early, if at all. The Falcons ranked 21st against the run during the regular season and are up against a Seahawks ground attack that averaged 161.2 yards per game. That was before they carved up the Redskins for 224 rushing yards last Sunday. When you consider Russell Wilson and Robert Turbin as complements to Lynch, Seattle could be turning back the clock on Sunday... minus the mud in the facemask.WHY ATLANTA COVERS

The Atlanta Falcons will cover the spread because they have a dominant passing attack - one good enough to beat even the vaunted Seattle secondary. It's going to be a relatively close game, but the passing game and an opportunistic defense will make the difference.Houston Texans at New England Patriots (-9.5, 47.5)

The Patriots are the only team in the playoffs which is expecting to have all of its Week 1 starters in action this weekend. However, there are some lesser-known players coming back for the Texans, who missed the first game between these teams, that can be difference makers. On offense, TE Garrett Graham and RT Derek Newton will likely both play. On defense, OLB Brooks Reed will be back and CB Johnathan Joseph appears to be playing healthier than he was earlier in the season when he was dealing with groin/hamstring issues.

The Pats staunch run defense has a good chance of making the Texans one-dimensional again. One of the main reasons why they won last time out was because they shut down Arian Foster. That put more pressure on Matt Schaub to perform. He didn't, and that's largely because the Pats held Andre Johnson in check and contained the other weapons. Schaub has played extremely poor lately, and that's a far cry from where he was at earlier this season. Houston's 19-13 performance against the Bengals last week left a lot to be desired on offense.

Join the debate. Which teams cover during the NFL Divisional Round?

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mikespeak makes a good point and gives yet another reason to NEVER use a so called "service". two people working for the same "service" giving out opposite sides has been a scam here in Las Vegas for DECADES. it's right out of Damon Runyon's "The Lemon Drop Kid"

notice how all the wind chill talk in den is making people think lower scoring in den .. like it wont be freezing in ne too ? it is jan .. cold wind chill could equal dropped passes .. those long home run quick strikes that end up just being incomplete passes .. as always will be glad when this is over .. lol one thing we know for sure with these 4 matchups as far as conditions .. there is no weather in the sea at atl game .. looking at due theory , first game up a dog and over is due .. but ooh i forgot it will be freezing and ground and pound .. same talk as the vikes at pack last sat night .. pack put up 17 in the 1st half .. 24 - 10 final .. who would not think under with balty at den anyway right .......... what we need is about 3 feet of snow , then we could easily pick the under ahead of time .. lol

Wow, a paragraph each from overly devoted fans of all 8 remaining teams that convinced me of one thing -- I'm glad I don't care who wins so I'll objectively do my own research. And if that does not reveal a good reason (none are mentioned above) to support either side I'll pass.

my take is shaky .. no way to truly read the sea at atl game .. i would go ravens +10 as a safe play .. pack win .. pats rip tex , or pats - 9.5 or 10
the 2 - 2 fav dog result vs the 3 - 1 or 1 - 3 is determined by 1 game .. the swing game .. it could very well be that the pats are the only fav to cover this round ..
as always , proceed with caution . esp since guys wearing zebra suits control the game .. and one guy can make you look like a fool in your predictions .. hoping his name is not rodgers or brady ..

Small play on Denver - 8.5 on Saturday! Parlay a Large play on Green Bay + 3! Then, Large play on Seattle +3 on Sunday! Small play on New England - 9 Sunday evening! Will also play small-to-medium 4-Team Parlay! Good Luck to whomever you go with!

like broncos to cover , pack to win , shawks +3 and pats to cover
results = favs 2 dogs 2
if we have to make it 1 away from a fav sweep again ? then make falcons good
and the one dog to cash is rodgers and comp .. 1st round this year was fav and under for all 4 games .. lol this round will not be f/u like that .. or will it .. haha

With playoff implications on the line, expect tight, low-scoring game between these two teams with hot goaltenders...

My free play is on Florida/Boston Under at 7:00 ET.

Boston has rebounded from a six-game losing streak by winning two games in a row after its 2-1 win in Carolina on Sunday. The Bruins return home where the Bruins are holding their opponents to only 2.3 goals per game which is a bit better than their 2.6 goals per game that they are giving up overall this season. Much of this improved play keeping the puck out of the net needs to be credited to goaltender Tuukka Rask who has been outstanding in front of his home fans this season. Rask owns a strong 2.04 goals against average along with a sizzling .930 save percentage when at home. The Bruins are clinging to the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt three points ahead of Ottawa and four points ahead of this Panthers team so the stakes remain very high for this veteran team. Rask may very well be playing his better goaltending at this point of the season as well. In his previous 12 starts this month, Rask has a 2.15 goals against average along with a .932 save percentage.

Florida has won four of its last six games as the Panthers make a late push to make the playoffs with their 4-2 win in Ottawa on Sunday. The Panthers stay on the road for this contest where they have seen the under go 7-3-3 in their last 13 contests away from home. The under is also 9-2-1 in their last 12 trips to Boston to face their Atlantic Division rivals. Florida's improved play as of late has much to do with the team’s improved play on defense as Florida is allowing only 2.2 goals per game over the last five games which is a significant improvement over its 2.7 goals per game seasonal average. Goaltender Roberto Luongo shook off a slow start this season to be the goalie the Panthers were hoping he would be when acquiring him in the offseason. Luongo has a 2.33 goals against average along with a .921 save percentage this year. Luongo has also heated up for Florida's playoff chase late this season as he owns a red hot 1.79 goals against average along with a .932 save percentage in his six starts this month. With playoff implications on the line, expect tight, low-scoring game between these two teams with hot goaltenders. Take the under.

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